Text: Quo mihi crude dolor tantum dominare

Jacob Handl (1550–1591)

Original Text	English Translation

Quo mihi crude dolor tantum dominare? (Minare?) Quid miner?— exhaurit viscera clamor (Amor, amor) Haurit amor verum? Unde mihi responsio? (Sponso, sponso) Vitane iam sponso sit sua reddita? (Ita, ita) Ah spes vana echo dum dicta reverberat? (Errat, errat) Ergo hic quem lacrimis mens mea quaerit? (Erit, erit) Num capis hos gemitus, tumulo dum clauderis? (Audis) At mihi quis saxum hoc inde levabit? (Abit, abit) Vere abit, ingrediar— sed ubi tu Christe? (Resiste, resiste) Me fugis— o quaenam te fovet ora? (Mora, mora) Rumpe moras oro miserere gementis, (Ementis, ementis) Heu emptum est frustra te nisi iniungat. (Agat, agat) At quid agat, dum te complexibus abstrahis? (Adsis) O mea vita decus subsidium fave. (Ave, ave) O mihi quos peperit Iesu dulcissime luctus mors tua! Quam mentem fixit acerba meam! Iam lacrimis stat vena meis, dolor excidit omnis, te redeunte redit gloria Christe mea. Haeccine discipulis vis gaudia perfero? (Ferto, ferto) Curro feram cunctis dulce levamen. (Amen, amen)	Why, cruel anguish, do you so much oppress me? (You are threatened?) What would threaten me?— my cry drains my innards… (Love, love) Love truly drains me? Whence is this reply coming to me? (From the bridegroom, the bridegroom) May life already have been returned to the bridegroom? (It may, it may) Ah, is hope vain, as long as the echo bounces back what is said? (Wrong, wrong) Therefore the one my heart seeks with tears is here? (He will be, he will be) Surely you do not catch these sighs, while you are shut up in the tomb? (You hear) And who will remove for me this stone from here? (It goes away, it goes away) Indeed it goes away, I will go in— but where are you, Christ? (Stay put, stay put.) Are you fleeing from me— oh what region shelters you? (Wait, wait.) Have done with waiting, I pray, have mercy on the one who groans! (On one who obtains, who obtains) Alas, obtaining is in vain, unless one is united with you. (Let her go ahead, go ahead) And why go ahead, while you pull away from (my) embraces? (Stand by) O my life, my glory, my aid, support me. (Hail, hail) O sweetest Jesus, for me what sorrows your death has produced! What a mental state misfortunes have made for me! Now the flow of my tears stops, all anguish disappears, my glory returns as you return, o Christ. Do you wish me to take this joyful news to the disciples? (Take it, take it) I run, I will bear the sweet relief to all. (Amen, amen.)